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“Okay. Kick off those flip-flops and let’s go, badass,” she teased.

Kendra rolled her eyes but did as she was told. They joined DJ on the court and stood opposite her. DJ tossed the ball to Aspen, who passed it back to her. DJ then set it to Kendra, who, instead of going for a gentle spike, just passed it back. They went around like that, alternating who was at what end of the court for several minutes, and Aspen kept finding herself staring at Kendra’s smile, which seemed to get wider and wider by the minute. When it was time to change things up and do some serves, Kendra was on one side of the court, shagging balls for them, but she’d serve one herself every so often, too. She helped them run a few plays to get them moving, and when it was time to go, Aspen packed up next to DJ while Kendra stood on the court, staring out at the ocean.

“Think she had fun?” Aspen asked DJ softly.

“I do. But why is she here?”

“Because I think she needed this,” Aspen replied.

Kendra turned around and smiled at her then, and it was the happiest Aspen had ever seen her.

CHAPTER 12

“Are you okay tonight?” Wyatt asked.

Kendra turned to her and said, “Yeah. Why?”

“You’re hardly talking,” Wyatt pointed out. “I feel like I’m filling in the silence a little.”

They were on a commercial break toward the end of a match. Indoor volleyball consisted of five sets, if necessary, but this one would likely end in three since one team had lost the first two sets and was about to lose the third by at least four points.

“I’m sorry,” she replied. “I didn’t realize.”

“What’s going on?” Wyatt asked.

“We only have, like, thirty seconds left. Maybe after?” she suggested.

“Sure. Okay,” Wyatt agreed.

When the commercial break ended, the camera was back on them. Wyatt discussed the play of the team that was losing and tossed it to Kendra to talk about the team that was winning.

“What we’ve seen tonight is a good sign for any fan,” Kendra began. “The team is finally starting to gel. They lost three starters to other teams and one to a retirement last season, so there were concerns that they wouldn’t be able to do the same thing they did last year when they made the playoffs and nearly won the whole thing. Now, we’ve got a first-round draft pick showing real leadership out there on the court, and a few of the veterans have really stepped into the positions they’ve not had to occupy before. If they keep this up, I can easily see them making the playoffs this year and maybe making a good run.”

“There were some talks about the playoff expansion this season. Previously, we’ve had six teams, with the top two divisional teams getting byes into the next round, but this is the first season where we’ll have eight teams and no byes. I know the top two teams right now are probably a little upset about not getting those byes.” Wyatt chuckled a little.

“Maybe, but they shouldn’t be. With the expansion of the league, we were due for a change. We have sixteen teams now, and we’ve got some great competition within those two divisions, along with the need to get more matches out there for folks to see that great competition. Now, for the first time, all of the playoff games will be televised live, as opposed to people having to try to find some of them on streaming services. We’re finally seeing some real investment in women’s sports, volleyball in particular. You know better than most, Wyatt, what it’s like to see that change start to take shape.”

“After we won the first gold medal for US women’s volleyball in Tokyo, we’d hoped to see instant change. I think we did to a certain extent, but we’ve continued to work hard to make sure we’ve got more exposure to the sport, more televised events, and more developmental opportunities for young athletes who hope to make teams like the two on the court tonight. I think the second gold medal – or, rather, winning them back-to-back, specifically – was what really started to get some folks to notice how good this country is and can continue to be in this sport. There’s definitely more interest in it since. So now, paying female athletes equally, giving them more endorsement and sponsorship opportunities, and investing in future generations of athletes is the way to go to keep winning medals and show them, since it’s about making money for some, that we can do that, too.”

“Agreed. So, let’s talk about what’s going on deep in this third set,” Kendra shifted gears as the match resumed, and they were no longer on camera.

They turned their swivel chairs around and looked down, watching the first serve after the TV timeout.

“We’ve got an outmatched team tonight,” Wyatt commented on the match at hand. “And I know they’ve got a few key injuries, but what you’d like to see is the players who are being called up from the bench really showing that they can step into those roles, leading out on the court, and showing the depth. We’re not seeing that tonight.”

“And do you think that should concern their coaches?” Kendra kept the conversation going.

“I think it’s something for them to pay attention to. They’ve got two players out for a long time. Their captain is out for the rest of the season. And they have a hamstring they’re watching for their top middle blocker, but it’s already looking like she’ll be out for the next four to six weeks, so they’ll need to quickly identify who can step into that role and really perform out there. What I’m seeing tonight isn’t a major concern yet, but it is something they have to address when they watch film and in practices.”

When the match ended just how they thought it would end, with one team losing easily in three sets and the other looking like a real championship contender, Kendra packed up her things and looked around, expecting Everly and little Julia to appear.

“They’re at the hotel,” Wyatt said. “She’s trying to take it easy, even though she’s not that far along. Honestly, as much as I love having them with me when I travel, she’s probably not going to do so for much longer to be extra cautious.”

“Makes sense. You don’t want to risk anything.”

“No, but it’s also more than that.” Wyatt hefted a backpack over her shoulder. “Ev has work of her own to do, and coming with me and working from the hotel, with Julia on top of that, doesn’t exactly help her do it, so she’ll stop coming with me soon. I miss them when they’re at home and I’m traveling by myself, though. That’s why Ev comes with me. Well, that and there are two of us to take care of our daughter, who is starting to learn how to get into things she shouldn’t, and she’s weirdly fast for someone who, essentially, waddles.”

Kendra chuckled and said, “You hate being without them, don’t you?”